


In His Youth

by z0mb1k1d



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV, Dialogue Heavy, First Love, Friends to Lovers, High School, M/M, Secret Relationship, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-14 03:14:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29785608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/z0mb1k1d/pseuds/z0mb1k1d
Summary: Noctis Lucis Caelum, the 18 year old Prince of Lucis, is despairingly alone. He is young, but well on his path of destiny to fill his father's shoes as the future King - but he seeks resolve from his silent suffering in the form of companionship, which Ignis and Gladio cannot offer.Prompto Argentum, the 17 year old runaway Prince of Niflheim, has made his escape from home, and is now taking shelter in Insomnia, trying to begin his life anew and away from the struggles of the Emperor and his father, the Imperial Minister.Fate will seek to entwine the two young Prince's, completely unaware of each other's true identities, while the rest of the world watches on in disapproval.
Relationships: Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Kudos: 19





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> To be clear, Noctis is still the Prince of Lucis, Regis is still the King, Iggy is still Noct's advisor, and Gladio is still his future shield. Virtually nothing about that portion of Noctis' storyline is different, and Luna _is_ mentioned later on in the story as well. She doesn't change either.  
> However, Prompto in this story is next in line to be the Emperor of Niflheim, and Verstael is still his biological father. Also, later in the story, Ardyn will make an appearance with a different purpose.  
> In this story, I've significantly amped up the 'bad influence' or 'rebel' concept with Prompto, and there are aspects to his character that have purposely been altered to fit the narrative of the storyline better. I've still attempted to keep his personality as close to canon as I possibly can as an outside writer, but there are a lot of other things about Prompto that have been changed, details added and taken away, for the purpose of this story, etc.  
> Also as an important note, I do intend to add more mature content later on in the story, and while Noctis is 18, there's a possibility Prompto _may_ still be 17 by the time we reach those points in the story. If this alarms you or causes you any problems, I would suggest you avoid this story all-together. I personally see no issue with depicting almost-adults engaging in promiscuous activities because it happens in real life naturally, but if that's a trigger for you, or something you're disgusted by, don't even bother trying to take it up with me.
> 
> Enjoy,  
> \- Dominik.
> 
> (p.s., This story is meant to be read closer to a book than a one-off fan fiction. I plan to make it very long, very slow burning, and very detailed. If this type of reading isn't your cup of tea, I suggest you don't waste your time here.)

_Niflheim is evil.  
The people of Niflheim, and all its teachings, are evil.  
There is no greater threat to the golden city, than Niflheim.  
Niflheim is used only for its trade and resources, because Niflheim is, and will always be,  
The Enemy._

Such is all Noctis knows, and has ever been instructed to believe for as long as he can remember. Of course being the King’s son, he’s been force fed propaganda through a tube all his life, that being viscerally controlled stories and falsified knowledge of the people and the culture from such a far away and different, read _desolate_ place on the shared Earth. From the land where no Sun shines bright enough to pierce the frigid ice, and where no flowers grow through the years of piled on snow and industrialism; from the land where a friendly greeting is little more than a nod, nothing further than a handshake, and families don’t speak, dare know of _love_ or intimate understanding; from the land where nothing is bred but violence, hate, and hunger - Noctis knows deftly of Niflheim, and that the Shadow Republic holds nothing more to him than a future full of cautious import laws, and trouble...  
So he is forced to believe is true.

What, say, of immigrants, then? Do they not exist? Are they such a rarity that is kept under so harsh of wraps that even the King’s son is unaware of their presence? Are workers and travelers never seen, stories never told, experiences never shared? Of course not. Life is spread, yes, but their existence is easy to be snuffed out. Their presence is taboo, they keep to themselves, forced to be quiet and cause no trouble - and when it comes to storytelling and desperate attempts to share the truth of falsified history, little is ever believed when the ruling word of society is impeccably controlled to _know_ , that such lies of culture and historical folklore couldn’t possibly be true. No one would ever believe stories of hope and sympathy from the mouths of heartless beasts, yes?  
Rare immigration from Niflheim is hardly allowed, but exists nonetheless under strict control and regulation. To the general public, it is less a matter of knowing the occurrence and more a matter of knowing _who_ is a wolf hiding in sheep's clothing among the masses. Such is a very dangerous amount of information for one immigrant to hold in the eye of a hostile country's storm; when everyone is out to get you, you keep personal information safe, sound, and hidden.  
However, a significant shortage of such privacy and carefully harbored secrecy is in the case of Niflheim’s runaway Prince, Prompto Argentum.

The curious case of this young man is that, while does want to run from royalty, and he is partially seeking secret refuge in Lucis to hide from responsibilities - he is not running from debts, or unsavory bounties. He is not weaseling into Lucis to commit terrible deeds, acts of treason, or internal spying for the implications of downfall from the inside out. No, the Prince has run away for the _main_ intent of experiencing the essences of life he may never know as royalty, specifically belonging to that of the cage known as Niflheim.

Noctis Lucis Caelum of course is not far from the same desires, yet he has no viable option of escape, and furthermore in his mind, no true reason for it. The pain of isolation due to royalty is not lost on the young man, but it is not so dire he begs for freedom, thirsts for normal life. He is comfortable in his secluded realm of utmost privacy and care, for Noctis never fears going hungry, homeless, _loveless._  
The enigmatic and forever looping entropy in Noctis’ mind of wishing for a more carefree livelihood and floating along the waters of Princely paradise is frustrating, perhaps maddening: But it is all he knows, and all he will ever know, for the time that he allows himself to be washed in the cycle until the very end of his royal ties to life.

_Time_ , though, is always changing, and much like it’s forever companion Fate, is _never_ predictable.


	2. Daybreak

When the King speaks, his voice bellows with rich wisdom and beckons all in earshot, not only to listen, but to consider and reply. The King’s voice does not waver nor question, it commands with ease, leads with dire purpose, and it demands nothing less than utmost respect.  
“Ignis, I require your audience.” 

At the compelling words, the brunette is struck to attention, as if the sounds were enchanted with a force that turns the Prince’s Adviser into vigilant stone.  
“Of course, Highness.” Ignis bows to the King, and while his body is firm and cautious at the sudden order, his hands gently tremble at his sides, for in his youth he still isn’t familiar with the King and his firm way of conversating.

“Please, in the council room.”  
The royal elder outstretches his arm towards a set of large, black doors, beautifully embroidered with golden ornaments and designs from the floor to the high beamed ceilings, of which dark grey marble arches support the structure, reaching hundreds of feet above their heads. The young man follows behind the King, who paces himself slowly into the room with aid by an equally decorated walking cane to the Kingdom’s architecture, a perfect match. Ignis tries not to sweat when they are completely alone - ultimately, an _extremely_ rare occurrence.  
“I have no intention of alarming you with our isolation, forgive me.”

Ignis once again bows his head in deep gratitude, “The pleasure is forever mine, your Grace. How, if in any way, may I be of your service?”

The King slowly sucks in a breath, he gently presses the cane against the polished floor between his feet, and layers his hands comfortably above the gilded helm. He observes the youthful Adviser up and down, settling on almost painfully attentive eyes beneath thin-rimmed square glasses.  
“I assume you have been well-informed of the succeeding selection of immigrants to enter our well tempered walls?”

“Of course, Highness.”

“I also assume you are aware that some hail from Niflheim?”

“Yes, Highness.”

“Very well, but it is to my displeasure that I must tell you, one of such immigrants will be admitted to participating in the same academics as my son.”

“Please pardon my ill-attention, your Grace - but that was not included in the briefing I was a part of.”

The King then laughs, the surprisingly joyful sound thick and hearty, and full of life. “Ignis, you are among the least ill-attentive young leaders I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, and there is none better suited for Noctis’ side. I chose to keep this information between you and I, alone.”

Ignis’ breath catches in his throat, and for a moment, his train of thought buffers along the tracks. _That_ is a lot of pressure for a 20 year old to handle, yet surely no one is better suited for such a task than the young man. Ignis clears the discomfort out of his throat, and for the third time in roughly twenty minutes, he bows to the King.  
“It is an honor,” He raises his head and meets the unyielding amber eyes of the elder, “What shall be required of me?”

“Can you find me another chiropractor?”

Ignis presses his hands down on his brown leather suitcase and sighs into the motion, “This is your fourth chiropractor in half a year, Noct. I don’t think it’s a necessary change, and rather, you need to be less stingy.”

The young Prince frowns, pressing his head against the wall while the rest of his body leans sluggishly against it. He crosses his arms and shrugs, “But this guy sucks, and so did the other ones. My back still hurts all the time, especially during track. I think my hips are out of whack too.”

“Perhaps that is because your back is permanently in a state of distress, and there is a limit to which that can be helped without having another surgery you so desperately avoid. Not only that - you must also be willing to help yourself, Noctis. Your diet is lacking, and I’m certain you only have exercise during physical education hours in school, or with Gladio.” Ignis locks the brass knobs on the suitcase and lifts it to his side, “And what else is it I could pick out that doesn't aide in your troubled spine? Is your sleeping position stable? Do you actively work on your posture?”

“ _Ok_ , Ignis. I get it,” Noctis dramatically rolls his eyes and rotates his laying body against the wall away from the adviser at the mouth of the hallway. “Remind me to never ask again.” The teenager mutters resentfully, and then pushes himself off the wall and drags out his lackadaisical steps into the living room, where he then flops down onto the couch.

Ignis sighs again, a common recurrence when speaking with the young and angsty Prince. “Please reserve your vexing for other affairs where it is much more needed, and I can assure you, those happenings _do_ exist outside of my guidance.” With the help of a shoehorn, Ignis puts his finely polished shoes on at the door, and then dejectedly takes another breath to speak loudly - though at the wall, or to Noctis, he isn’t sure. “I’ll be back at the end of the week. Take care of yourself, and your back, while I’m gone.”

“Because I have _so_ much trouble with that,” Noctis responds with an uneased temper, but instead of receiving a biting remark back like he had somewhat hoped, he’s only met with the offensive sound of the door closing. Noctis groans and drops his head against the arm of the couch, staring at the ceiling with an utter lack of amusement. It’s silent in the apartment now, the sun has already gone down, and in 3 hours Monday will begin.  
Noctis is, as usual, _painfully_ bored. Everyday he does the same things in slightly different order. He eats, he sleeps, he reads comic books, plays video games, listens to music, and sometimes he bothers to watch whatever garbage is on the tv; but he is _so alone_ , and as time goes on, everything loses its color, it’s appeal. Food is no longer appetizing, and sleep consumes more and more of his time because there’s nothing better to do; because even though Noctis has access to every new game as soon as it drops, he quickly becomes bored of it. Whether he is playing alone or in secret with other online players, he can’t keep online friends, can’t truly connect with them and speak to them like a real person. Comic books run out quickly, and when it comes to music, there is so much to explore, so much to listen to, so many feelings to have that it overwhelms Noctis - and in the case of TV, his attention span simply can’t be bothered to stay invested.

In a strange sense, Noctis is submerged both with how much there is for him to experience, and how little there is for him to enjoy things by his lonesome. The Prince feels like a corpse, drifting in the sea, waiting for something of real interest to catch him and bring him back to shore, to the world of the living, to _normalcy_. In short, Noctis is depressed, and he has been for a long time.

The Prince’s eyes wander all over the ceiling, hypnotizing himself to believe there are shapes in the paint marks as his brain cycles through all the ideas for what he could do to keep himself busy. Alas, there is nothing other than sleep that Noctis is in the mood for. He doesn’t want to spend energy getting up off the couch, but forces himself to sit up, then throws his legs over the edge, and slowly pushes himself to a stand. The lazy Prince wanders into the bathroom and takes a long, hot shower in silence, then meets his bed to join the day upon waking.

On school days, his morning routine is the same every day. At 5 am, Noctis wakes up, but doesn’t _wake_ up. Rather, he lays in bed and rolls around for a while, trying to convince himself that consciousness is waiting, and that eventually his body will have to follow suit. He wakes up his phone, too, and then further procrastinates getting up by scrolling pointlessly through whatever is on the internet until around 6; that’s about the time he’s finally ready to commit to the day, and he slowly gets out of bed, then dresses into uniform. Noctis then wanders into the kitchen and lingers for an uncomfortably long time, always spending his morning _persuading_ himself into eating breakfast, if for nothing else, than the sake of sustenance and being able to move further into the day without unnecessary trouble. Ignis would have him take vitamin pills too, if he could, but that’s a hopeless venture.  
After an excuse for breakfast is eaten, Noctis brushes his teeth, works with his hair to the best of his unmotivated ability, and then leaves the house. Some days, he’s able to get a ride from Ignis to school, but most days he walks.

The inner city of Insomnia is usually buzzing with activity, but so early in the morning Noctis finds it’s quiet, peaceful, and welcoming in an empty sort of way. There aren’t enough cars to cause traffic yet, and the only people out and about are other tired students making their way to school, adults walking to their jobs, or joggers here and there. Oftentimes, Noctis has the pleasure of watching the sunrise, and listening to the birds sing in the wind; it’s the little things that make Noctis wish he could afford to go out more, see the world freely with less consequence, and truly enjoy nature without the pressure of responsibility, destiny, or an imaginary target on his head.  
The walk to school is quick, and so finely memorized by Noctis that he could probably sleep walk there if he really wanted to. He knows all the ins and outs of streets on the way to the school and around it; every business, every alley, every corner - and yet, every day, he decides to go to the same exact spot. Beside the school and off to the left side of the campus is what seems to be a forever-unfinished construction site, that was originally going to be used as an additional but unexplained part of the school. It is Noctis’ favorite place to sit, be alone, and think, because the only way he could possibly enjoy that inescapable cycle is by dedicating it to a good spot.

One of the better aspects of the dilapidated zone is that, from a safe position to sit, Noctis can see the front of the school, and can people-watch if he feels the need. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but watching the normal students he’s surrounded by interact from afar during their daily lives is a bit of a coping mechanism for the Prince. It gives him a chance to admire the life around him, and keep it in his mind that one day, the students he sees before him are ones that he will be needing to protect as the future King.  
It makes the promised job a little less threatening through that perspective, and something of a far more honorable picture is painted in Noctis’ head, as opposed to the image of his distant father that usually takes the place.

Noctis takes a seat on top of a half-way finished brick and cement wall, where he leans his back against the corner of it, and stares up at the pastel morning sky. He closes his eyes, feels the hum of the slowly waking world around him, but is then disturbed by a roaring sound nearby. Noctis’ eyes snap open and he adjusts his posture, looking out at the front of the campus and squinting to find the source of commotion.

Down the center of the parking lot comes a speeding, black motorcycle, clamoring through the lot while the rider of the vehicle claims all the attention of the students around. He is clad in a thick, black leather jacket on top of the school uniform-coded dress pants, shirt, and tie - which is a noticeably odd pairing. Noctis can’t see it, but he can guess the school’s navy blue blazer is hidden under that bulky jacket; and though the entire head of the bike rider is concealed with a helmet, he is thin and short, further telling of his age and respected business at the school. Still, the Prince keeps a keen eye on the mystery boy as he slides into a parking spot with practiced ease, and parks the bike, silencing the loud yet impressive hunk of pristine machinery.

Niflheim’s runaway Prince succeeds in arriving in obnoxious style, having yet to say any words at all or even reveal his face, and already stealing the show. When the motorcycle ceases it’s heavy, vibrating motion, Prompto settles into it’s comfortable cushion, unhooks the helmet from around his head, and pulls it off, revealing extra-fluffed golden hair to the surrounding and accidental audience. He takes a long, deep inhale of fresh oxygen, and then shakes his as-of-yet untamable hair out with his fingers, reworking it into a somewhat manageable state.

The appearance of the mystery rider instantly startles Noctis, because he is nothing like the Prince was suspecting to be under the helmet. His hair bounces when it springs free of the helmet's confines, and his fair face is sculpted, and spackled with freckles as if kissed personally by the Sun. His eyes, though Noctis can’t decipher the color of at a distance, are still rather large, and appear to have eyelashes that should normally belong to a lady. The striking appearance of the young man is beyond Noctis’ expectations and has him locked with interest, curiously so. He watches with an unbeknownst desire as the blonde steps off the bike, secures it in its place, then grabs a backpack off the rear-end and slings it over his shoulder. He walks carelessly, with a heavy stamp under his weight with every step, though he carries himself lightly, contradicting as if he were walking merrily with a sort of rhythm, a skip, a jig in his step, though not on purpose.

Prompto smiles casually at the bystanders as he walks up to the cement steps, disillusioned into thinking that his sudden and obvious appearance at the school is anything short of normal to the rest of the students. From the boisterous motorcycle ride to the intimidating and well-tamed leather, the spritely young man has a figurative spotlight set on his person from the moment he arrives. Yet, Prompto doesn’t mind - he even somewhat likes it, as he shoves open the large front doors to the school and proceeds inward, into uncharted territory, without fear or hesitation.

Naturally, the first thing Noctis wants to know is who the boy is. Obviously he’s new to the school, but he has to be new to the city as well, because Noctis has never seen his face before at all; and Noctis makes a good habit of knowing everyone he can, at both Ignis’ and the King’s discretion. This new student isn’t very good at blending in, either, which picks at a particular curiosity in his brain to know more, even if it means pushing beyond his usual introverted tendencies in order to find information. Noctis is no stalker, nor is he a particularly intrusive person, but he does enjoy being kept in the loop.

He figures in due time, at just the right moment, he’ll be able to learn whatever he feels important enough to know about the new student, but at the sound of the warning bell from the building, Noctis resigns himself to go inside and to his first period class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy the story so far.  
> If you have anything you'd like to say to me about the story or you have any questions, please don't be afraid to comment and I'll try to respond to the best of my ability.
> 
> Also, I take _CONSTRUCTIVE_ and _INTELLECTUAL_ criticism. If you're not an asshole, I have no problems with advice or thoughts that are imperative to helping me write this story better; I value true and honest reviews, not pointless hate.
> 
> Thanks!  
> -Dominik.
> 
> (this same note will be at the end of every chapter, please don't mind the repetition <3)


	3. A Miraculous Encounter

The first period of the day is usually the hardest on students, between the early gloom of the morning for tired teens and the expectation to have everything ready and at attention, is difficult to abide by. In Niflheim, the expectation was stern and held to each and every student openly - but apparently at this school, Prompto realizes, things are a bit different.  
He barely makes it into the class before the bell rings, having been a bit lost, and the class is silent when he enters.  
Most of the other students are sleeping, or _almost_ sleeping, with their heads down and covered on the desks or tilted back and staring at the ceiling in a vaguely vegetative state. Other students are on their phones, listening to music, or frantically trying to finish homework.

Prompto awkwardly approaches the teacher and smiles, "Good morning, um, are there any open chairs?"

The teacher lowers her glasses to the tip of her beaked nose and observes the young man before her, baring judgement on her sleeve. She then readjusts the glasses on her face and motions to a seat, "Perhaps in the back row." The senior then completely detracts her focus on the blonde and returns to looking at a paper in her hands. Though she was of course informed before-hand of a new student's arrival, the appearance of the anticipated student greatly displeases her, and she makes no attempt to hide that.

"Right. Thanks." Prompto says quietly with a nod, and then shuffles his way to a seat in the corner. The teachers attitude was disconcerting for sure, but he doesn't mind being dismissed to the back of the room, where he can embrace the newness of his surroundings without too much pressure, expectation, or _further_ judgement. He makes the least amount of effort possible to gather essential working materials on his desk, and then slumps into his chair with a gentle sigh. He wraps his arms around his stomach and huddles into the warmth and familiarity of the leather jacket over his blazer, quick to seclude himself to silence and peer gazing. Besides, no one wants to socialize right now anyway, and he's perfectly fine with that.

The history class is arid and boring. The teacher, Mrs. Copleon, is a short and elderly woman who has absolutely no intention of waking her class up with an interesting or personable teaching style. She stays true to her job, in that she instructs without any depth, asks if the students understand, and then hands out paperwork to do so she no longer has to speak or put in any more effort than needed.  
Being that Prompto is still waiting on receiving the school books he ordered, the paperwork is extremely confusing. He doesn’t know anything about the history of Lucis or Insomnia, and doesn’t have anything to aid in reading about such history yet - and he sure as Hell isn’t about to ask someone for their materials. Ultimately, he decides to sit and do nothing until the end of class where he can hopefully talk his teacher into allowing an extension until he gets his books.  
Fortunately, in the middle of class while the students are doing ‘independent study’ as Copleon damningly refers to it as, a student raises his hand and asks if they can take it home should they be unable to finish, and she grants that appropriate. Prompto lucks out today.

At the sound of the bell to signal the end of class, the blonde is slow to get up, feeling significantly less confident about attending the next period. He understands that, hopefully, not all of the teacher's in the school are as dull as Mrs. Copleon, but the lack of energy in the class is still very discomforting, and the judgement that was bestowed upon him was more than unsettling. Eventually amidst the other students he squeezes into the hallway, which is far more chaotic than what he's used to, and so he clings to the wall for a moment.  
Prompto takes a big breath, his eyes scanning all the passing faces, and he decides that he's going to make a leap of faith. Prompto is going to decide on a target, and just _go for it_ , to ask for help in the most nonchalant way he can. The blonde hypes himself up, silently encouraging what's about to happen despite his anxiously racing heartbeat, and he closes his eyes. After three seconds, he opens them, and the first student he sees is a tall, pale boy with spikey black hair and a killer set of blue eyes. It isn't the most approachable target he could have picked, especially because the crowd of students seems to revolve around and away from the boy as he walks, but Prompto made a decision and he's going to stick to it.

After one more deep breath, Prompto pushes himself off the wall and trots up to the Prince, then claps a hand on his shoulder, “Hey man, could you help me sec?”  
Noctis noticeably jumps at the contact, unused to physical touch as it is, and even more so by anyone in school - because no one dares to try and have a normal conversation with him, much less touch him without permission. He stops in his tracks, staring at Prompto with an arched brow and an exasperated slack jaw.  
“Ah, sorry,” Prompto laughs and removes his hand, then scratches at the back of his head while holding up his schedule, “Do you know where my next period is?”

After a beat of silence, “It’s fine...” Noctis awkwardly clears his throat and grabs the paper, then quickly realizes that they share a second period class. “Oh, convenient,” He looks the blonde up and down, then glances around, and shrugs, “I’ll just take you with me, I’m going to calculus too.” He slaps the piece of paper against Prompto’s chest, returning the friendly touch, and begins to walk again. 

Prompto’s fingers cover the paper, and sparing a bit of awe for the moment, he grins and happily follows after the other boy. “Thanks for your help, I’m-”

“New. Yeah, I gathered.” Noctis flattens his lips in an excuse for a smile and nods along as they walk.

“Uh, I'm Prompto, then.” The blonde bares his cheeky smile to the Prince and holds out his fist. Noctis looks down and examines the hand; it’s slightly smaller than his own, and riddled with scars and scuffing's.

He bumps it, “Noctis,” The Prince answers curtly, and then adjusts his bag strap uncomfortably as he walks, “So where'd you come from?”

Prompto sucks in a deep breath and drums his hands against his thighs, trying to help rid himself of anxiety. He forces out a response, “Niflheim, actually.” Because there's no use in lying about the elephant riding on his back.

If Noctis were drinking something, he’d be spitting it out. “What?”

“Please, don’t be afraid of me.” Prompto stops walking, staring at the Prince with a heavy and pleading expression, like a guilty puppy dog. Noctis also stops walking, and he turns slightly to look at Prompto, almost admiringly so, and then he shrugs with indifference and continues to walk.

“I’m not afraid of you.”  
The blonde scoffs a laugh of disbelief, and merrily continues to walk at Noctis’ side down the hallways.  
“I'm just surprised - it’s not often we have esteemed guests from Niflheim staying more than a day,” He says rather dryly, “And even less often are they so proud to say so.” He slaps Prompto’s bicep with the back of his hand, curiously testing the waters of what could become friendly bonding.

Prompto laughs and bashfully rubs his arm, “Yeah, well, I’m not really like everyone else from home. That’s kinda _why_ I’m here now, I guess.”

“Ah.” Noctis nods and decides the safest route through conversation now is more subtle prying, and more of that for later, hopefully with better seclusion from the student masses. After all, public school is a hive mind, and rumors spread fast. Regardless of where they are, the point blank truth is that admitting you're from Niflheim will quickly put you in hot water should word-of-mouth not be handled properly. Not to mention, the loud arrival on a motorcycle doesn't help the blonde's case.

As they walk down the hall side-by-side, Prompto begins to notice the reaction of their pairing from the other students. He chuckles, “You must be really popular here, right?”

Noctis sighs, keeping a dead stare forward as they walk, “Sure. Why?”

“It’s just, everyone is staring at you, and whispering things.”

“Don’t worry about them,” Noctis finally stops at one of the classroom doors and pulls it open, then meets Prompto’s gaze. Up close, he finds the Nifs eyes aren’t just blue, they’re lilac, with a stunning and icy depth to them that almost causes his heart to skip a beat. Prompto himself is not so unaffected by the unbelievable shade of Noctis’ cobalt irises up close, and over the course of hardly 2 seconds, time briefly stops.  
“You’ll figure out the social norms here soon.” Noctis mutters with a soft sigh, and then enters the room first, seeing as Prompto won’t be doing so.

The blonde walks in at Noctis’ heels and surveys the room, he meekly questions, “Where should I sit?”

Noctis looks around and then shrugs, “Behind me, if you want.” He leaves the answer open to interpretation while making his way towards the far left side of the room, by a window and towards the back. Prompto follows him through the array of desks nonetheless.

“Doesn’t someone already sit there?”

“There’s no assigned seats in this room,” Noctis sighs as he tosses his backpack lazily onto the floor beside his desk, “The girl behind me will just have to get over it.” He looks at Prompto once more, and finally smiles.

Flooded with a new warmth of familiarity, Prompto eagerly sits down behind Noctis, whom he still doesn’t know the true status of yet. After a couple seconds of buzzing excitement, Prompto leans forward on the desk and slaps Noctis’ shoulder, “Hey, Noct,” The Prince turns around and makes an unpleasant face at the nickname used without consent. “Can you help me get to the next class too?”

Noctis sighs and nods, “Yeah, Prompto. I’ll help you find it.” He offers that awkward close-mouthed smile from the hallway, but just before he turns around another thought comes to mind. “Also, if the teachers know you're from Niflheim, that leather jacket won’t look so welcoming. I’d take it off, if I were you.” He warns quietly with a wink.

Prompto blushes, and then laughs, “You’re probably right - forgot I was even wearing it.” He quickly discards the leather constricting the school’s navy blazer, and then drapes it with care across the back of his seat. Prompto, oblivious to the Prince’s clearly dissatisfied mood, continues to try and make conversation. “Is that your natural hair color?”

Noctis looks over his shoulder and arches a brow, but he can’t help but laugh at the question. “Yeah, dude. I inherited it from my dad.”

With the clock ticking, more and more students enter the room and quickly fill its many seats. One girl in particular is boisterously discussing something ill-important with her friends in the classroom as she approaches where she usually sits - only to find that, today it has been filled by an unfamiliar face, and one who is very casually mingling with the Prince, no less. The words get caught in her throat, and she looks back and forth between the two fine young men multiple times, before deciding that it is not her place to disrupt their conversation, nor does she even have the courage to try. So, she turns around and finds a new seat, just as Noctis knew she would.

Prompto is oblivious to her, of course. “It’s super unique! I really like it,” He reaches out and casually twists at some of the ends of Noctis’ spiked hair, but the Prince notices the girl’s silent interaction with them; and it makes him _very_ happy. In a way, Prompto scared her off, and kept her from obnoxiously trying to attain his attention as she usually has days and days before.

With less of a weight on his chest, Noctis half smiles and flicks at a feathered tuft of Prompto’s hair, asking in turn, “So are you a real blonde then?”

Prompto immediately flushes red, “Of course I am! Just as stupid, too, you’ll see.” He takes the joke before Noctis can even make it, and that _does_ relieve the Prince of one more cumbersome duty.

He holds up his hands and turns back around, “You said it Goldie Locks, not me.”

More bickering minutes pass and then the calculus teacher enters the room, and firmly shuts the door behind him, leaving any late students at the door; and Prompto silently thanks the Gods he was able to get Noctis to lead him to the room, otherwise he might’ve been doomed at the clocks hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy the story so far.  
> If you have anything you'd like to say to me about the story or you have any questions, please don't be afraid to comment and I'll try to respond to the best of my ability.
> 
> Also, I take CONSTRUCTIVE and INTELLECTUAL criticism. If you're not an asshole, I have no problems with advice or thoughts that are imperative to helping me write this story better; I value true and honest reviews, not pointless hate.
> 
> Thanks!  
> -Dominik.
> 
> (this same note will be at the end of every chapter, please don't mind the repetition <3)


	4. Under the Surface

The second period of the school day tends to begin having students in much higher spirits, and noticeably more awake - however, this doesn't make calculus, or math at all, any easier for the majority of high schoolers. The Prince is no exception, though he more or less _chooses_ to be bad at math over actually being unable to understand the material. If he feigns intelligence, or care for that matter, then the expectations of him in class are low from both his teacher's and Ignis, and it also means he isn't called on as often to answer questions.  
Prompto, on the other hand, is genuinely bad at math; and at the Prince's mercy, he finds out about halfway through the period that Noctis' careless attitude in regards to math is a bit of an act, and he does receive some offhand help from Noct every so often during what feels like a century of the time spent in the boring class.

When it's finally over, Noctis holds up his end of the bargain with Prompto, and finds the new boy’s schedule in his hands and beneath his sleepy stare yet again. “That’s interesting,” He hums.

“What? Did I get weird teachers?” Prompto frets, laying both his hands against Noctis’ shoulder and eagerly peering over to see the paper as well.

Noctis pushes him off and shakes his head, “No, we just have a lot of classes together. I guess finding me was your lucky break,” He sighs and slaps the paper on Prompto’s desk. “Come on, I can’t be late ‘cuz of you.” He gets up and starts to walk away.

Prompto hastily gathers all of his things into his arms and shuffles out behind the Prince, “You won’t be,” He smiles assuredly, despite his freneticism.

After catching up, “So,” Noctis decides to make conversation again, “What do your parents do?”

“Actually I came here alone,”

“Alone? At your age?” He looks over at the blonde with a glare that could be described as disbelieving and concerned. “That must have been dangerous.”

“Oh, nah,” Prompto flippantly waves his hand, trying to disregard the other’s concerns, “It was just really cold, what with only me and my bike, ya know.” He laughs and rubs the back of his neck, “Back home my mom and dad are uh, farmers,” He meets Noct’s blue eyes again, “We can stand the elements better than anyone else,” And he grins.

“Huh,” Noct chuckles, “A lone, travelling farmer from Niflheim who’s barely an adult and rides a motorcycle, clad in leather. Can’t say I’ve met very more eccentric people around here.”

“Really?” Prompto laughs, “What an honor.”

“Yeah,” Noctis sighs and glances around, then sets both his hands on the back of his head, and tries to relax as he walks. “You’ll make friends fast.”

Prompto stares at him curiously, trying to decipher the odd mix of insecurity and apathy in the Prince’s monotone voice. “Actually, I’m not very good at that, if you could believe it.” At that statement, he quickly catches Noctis’ eyes, and smiles, “A small circle is good enough for this outcast.”

The Prince scoffs, and allows himself to smile, “If you say so.” Eventually he leads the blonde into the biology lab, where he instructs him to sit down on the right side of a specific table as he goes to the teacher, and bends at the desk, speaking to him in a hushed voice. “I want the new kid to be my partner, his name is Prompto. That ok?”

The teacher, a nervous man by nature, glances between Noctis and the blonde a few times before ultimately nodding. “Of course, Highness.” He says reverently, and fakes a smile. The Prince rolls his eyes, but takes the handout regardless, and ends up back at Prompto’s side at his particularly assigned table.

“Sooo, who usually sits _here_?” Prompto asks, not insensible enough to notice he’ll be taking someone’s place a second time. In a way, he feels honored, but isn’t sure why.

“Some guy. Honestly I can’t really remember his name,” Noctis rubs his neck, actually embarrassed, “I’m usually asleep, so,”

“Seriously?” Prompto laughs, “Does that mean I’m about to become your new work mule? I’ve gotta warn ya - I’m not very good at science stuff, you’re probably better off just guessing or sticking with the old guy.”

Noctis smiles, “I won’t do that to you. Besides, my other partner _insisted_ I sleep. Was I just supposed to ignore such a generous request?”

The blonde tsks, “And you thought _I_ looked like a bad influence, with a little leather jacket.”

“Oh shut it, I got enough shit to deal with. I seriously won’t sleep as much, if it makes you feel better.”

“I’m not gonna help you study is all I’m sayin,” Prompto shrugs.

“Eh, we’ll see.” Noctis bumps into the other’s arm while wearing a knowing smile. Within the following few minutes, a slender boy with short brown hair and glasses walks alone into the room with his head low, and he walks straight up to the desk that Noctis and Prompto sit at. When he looks up, his eyes widen.

“Ah, your-” Noctis clears his throat loudly before the boy can finish that remark, and the ‘Highness’ end of the statement is silenced. The boy nervously sucks in a breath, never breaking eye contact with the Prince, and so instead of verbally exchanging with Noctis, he bows his head, and continues to walk elsewhere to find a new lab partner. 

Prompto blinks a couple times, “I-I’m sorry, did I miss something?”

Noctis looks over at him, “Nah.”

“What the Hell was that then?” The blonde laughs awkwardly, “You gave that guy one look and he just... Left.”

Noctis sighs, his expression wilting with exasperation, “I’m not a bully or anything, ok? I don’t have _that_ kind of reputation.” With a second sigh he presses his face into his hands and rubs at the worried lines burrowing in his smooth, porcelain skin.

“Well that’s a relief, but it seems like everyone knows you.”

“Unfortunately,” The Prince leans back and crosses his arms, “My family is just,” He flattens his lips and shakes his head, clearly frustrated, “Big money, if you catch my drift.”

Prompto’s mouth opens wide and he gasps, “ _Oh!_ ” He exclaims dramatically, and then laughs, “Why didn’t you just say so?”

“It’s easy for people to use me for my _money_ , you know.” Noctis responds quietly, then coughs into his fist, “I don’t like fake friends.”

Prompto slaps his hands on the desk, “Well then buddy, I swear from this day forward that you have my loyalty! Not through money, but through, uh,” He stutters, “Through being nice enough to deal with me on my first day. Sound like a good debt?”

“Sounds good,” Noctis claps Prompto on the shoulder happily, and then the teacher stands, and clears his throat to begin the period. They don’t do anything fun like dissections or hands-on experiments, but more paperwork, which later on in the period, Prompto quietly but openly laments over.

“I figured it would have been the same in Niflheim?”

“Yeah, that’s the problem,” Prompto quietly complains, “I’m so tired of doing paperwork all the time. I like it when teachers actually give a shit.” He adds bluntly.

“Me too, but there are some pretty alright teachers here, you just have to look for them, or be lucky enough to have them. Which kind of sucks, but, it is what it is.”

“That does suck,” Prompto sets his head on his hand while doodling on the paper, not paying a lick of attention to words on it. 

It’s typical for Noctis to pay little attention in class. So far, he’s been able to completely fake his way through school and do well enough for it, despite Ignis’ scolding. He can sleep, daydream, doodle, people-watch, and even text during class and still somehow manage to pull it all together with a pretty bow, _somehow_ dragging himself along with A’s and B’s. It’s just unrecognized ADD from the Prince that hasn’t caused long term problems (yet,) but now, that disassociation is shifting and taking the form of a weird and out-of-the-blue attraction he himself doesn't even notice.  
His eyes are glued to Prompto’s hand as it draws superfluously around on the paper. He doodles an eye, the side profile of a dragon’s head, a skull, a cactus, and a robot, then Noctis interrupts him.

“You’re pretty good at drawing.” He says softly, almost to himself, while lost in thought.

“Am I?” Prompto smiles, glancing up then looking back down.

“Better than me,” Noctis folds his arms on the table and relaxes into his slouched posture, focusing all his attention on the blonde and his doodles.

“I used to draw a lot when I was a kid, then stopped after a while. I actually found a lot of my old notebooks when I went through all my things to bring with me here, but I could only fit one of them in my duffle bag. I brought the best one, obviously.”

Noctis’ brows furrow, “You fit all your things into _one_ duffle bag?”

“As much as I could of all my things, yeah.” Prompto leans back in his chair and sighs, his gaze getting stuck to the ceiling as he counts off on his fingers, “I brought clothes, hygiene stuff, a pillow, blankets, my camera, my mp3 player,” His breath suddenly hitches and Prompto blinks a few times, then gets back to it, “Uh, and that notebook full of drawings!” He looks over at the Prince and smiles, “That’s pretty much all my stuff. All my money too, obviously.”

“That’s a lot to haul all the way from Niflheim,” Noctis’ eyes travel up to Prompto’s face, clearly illuminated under the harsh fluorescent lights, and he can see when the blonde smiles, there’s the slightest hint of dimples. “How long did the trip take?”

“Well I left at midnight, and it took two days to get to Succarpe. Then I took a boat to Caem, and it took _another_ two days to get to the north east point of Leide, and then I took _another_ boat to get here! So all in all, about four and half days?” Prompto hypothesizes. “Honestly, the gas was the most expensive part of the trip. All the motels I stayed at couldn’t’ve been more than 25 gil a night.”

“ _Gods_ ,” Noctis scoffs and leans back in his chair, throwing one arm over the backrest and opening up his body towards the blonde. “I can’t fuckin’ believe you made it all this way on a bike, by yourself.”

“I had to get out of there, dude. I was losing my mind,” Prompto shakes his head and continues to doodle, starting on a crescent moon. He bites his lip and quiets his voice, muttering, “Nowhere could have protected me better than here.”

“Protected?” Noctis repeats under his breath, his stare hardening on the blonde, but then the bell rings to dismiss the class and disrupts his thoughts.  
The two stand up and gather their things, “You need help again?”

“I’d appreciate it,” Prompto laughs shyly, and allows Noctis to lead the way.  
The Prince drops his new friend off at his next period, and finds himself daydreaming through his own independent class, staring out the window yet again and looping through thoughts that equally trouble and delight him. The last friend Noctis ever truly made, and stayed dedicated to, was Ignis - and nowadays at his age, the ‘friendliness’ over ‘civil interaction’ in their relationship is questionable, at that. The other option for friendship in his life is Gladio, but their relationship is neurotic at best, strained at worst, often flipping wildly back and forth between older brother, and strict teacher in the arts of fighting. Between the two older men, he can’t find the heart to open up, or truly be himself, and now it seems that at the perfect moment, the stars have aligned and given him Prompto.  
However, he’s from Niflheim, and _so_ many branching thoughts come from that knowledge alone. He’s never known anyone publicly ‘out’ as a Nif, never really been permitted to that kind of interaction with folk from so far away. If anything, he admits to himself that he’s been _made_ to be weary of these people, scared of them even, but how could he bring himself to weary of Prompto? The young blonde is anything but appearing to be treacherous, and if it _is_ an act of ignorance to the Prince’s status of royalty, not only is Prompto doing a stellar job of acting, he’s hiding in plain sight. What use would such flashy clothing and appearance be to a spy, or an assassin? Why show up directly in front of the Prince, walk and talk with him, so casually? Perhaps it is the biggest element of surprise, the fastest way to get closest to the target enemy.  
Ignis would be absolutely _railing_ Noctis with warnings and concerns right now if he could only see what was unfolding - but he _isn’t_ , Noct reminds himself. Ignis is not here to see what’s happening, nor here to listen to the façade Noctis is putting on like a mask, purely for the sake of an opportunity for true friendship, not hidden under the guise of advisory, nor raising for glorious battle and Kingship.

If this should be Noctis’ chance _finally_ gifted by the Gods at making a true, genuine, and loyal friend, then regardless of where Prompto comes from, he shouldn’t waste it; and in the end, if it should backfire, _so be it._

When the 4th period ends, it’s lunch time for the seniors, and Noctis would be lying if he told himself he weren’t looking for Prompto as he entered the line to acquire food. It might seem unconventional for the young Prince to not be eating food from his own house, or that he should go out to the city and get food elsewhere, but the truth is, Noctis is very lazy. Not only is he frankly terrible at packing his own lunch, but even if he were good at it he would constantly forget to, or simply lack the motivation to do so prior to leaving for school in the mornings, which is already difficult as it is without Ignis’ help. Noctis can’t be bothered to leave school grounds just for lunch either, and so on an average day, he gets his food, sits down alone, and eats like any other regular, particularly lonesome, student. He prefers that normalcy, anyway.

Walking in through the sea of students that enters the dining hall is Prompto mingled in the chaos. At Noctis' side, he seems so bright and energetic, but lost in the noise of the massive and unfamiliar student crowd, Prompto fades. He is small, nervous, and quietly unsure of where exactly it is he’s going. The Prince sighs and leaves his spot in line to weed out the teen, and easily slips through the crowd because everyone is just _so_ willing to let him through. Yes, the oddest of these liberties does in fact bother Noctis, but at least now he can use it to his advantage.

“Prompto,” His voice slices through the white noise of student nonsense, and the blonde perks up instantly, once again reminder Noctis of a puppy in search of it's owner.

“Oh thank Gods, please help me,” Prompto laughs out loud, and reaches out to casually grab the Prince’s wrist. This time, however, instead of being met with startle or an uncomfortable look, Noctis just yanks his new friend out of the crowd, and finds a new spot in line for food once more, this time with Prompto at his side.  
“You really just saved my ass; I thought I was about to be trampled.”

“Yeah, I could tell.” Noctis tries to stifle his chuckle, “Little fish in a big pond, right?”

“Way bigger than I thought,” 

“People are way more eager to eat than they are to get to class, be careful next time or fall to the masses.” Noctis warns jokingly with a smile. “You have lunch money, right?”

“For today, yeah,” Prompto shrugs and digs his wallet out from his bag.

“What do you mean for today?”

“I came here alone, remember? I’m what the cool kids call, broke.”

Noctis’ brows furrow, “Where are you sleeping?” Suddenly the question holds a bit of worry.

“Ah,” Prompto frantically waves his hands, “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m not homeless, it’s just that, well the money my parents send me is like a slow drip, ya know? Rent first, gas second, food third.”

“That’s...” The Prince suddenly bears a frown, “Not ideal.”

“It's how I gotta live right now,” Prompto smiles despite the bleakness of his described situation. “Don’t worry about me though dude, I always figure it out.”

Noctis rolls his eyes, “Even if that’s what you’re used to, just ask for help if you need it, ok?”

“I thought you said you don’t want people using you for money?”

“You’re not gonna use me though, you said it yourself; so take the handouts.”

“I’ll do my best not to.” Prompto smiles humbly.  
They’re served fresh food, including a choice of sandwich from a variety, salads, apples, and a drink of their choice. Cookies are also optional, which Prompto partakes in without a second thought, and he marvels at the quality of their lunch. “I can’t believe you guys get to eat like this every day, and for only _10 gil_!”

Noctis stares at him quizzically, “What was it like at your old school?”

The blonde sighs, “Manufactured, bland, and cold - just like the rest of Niflheim.” He tries to smile, “We also didn’t have a choice of what to eat, just had to take whatever we were given.”

Noctis leads them to the table he always sits at, only fortunately today, the Prince will not be dining alone, which is a pleasant change he won’t be used to for some time. “And the classes?”

“Hard as Hell,” Prompto shakes his head while emptying a packet of dressing onto his salad, “And strict. If we were caught talking or sharing notes, or even doodling in class, we’d get hit with rulers.” He holds up the back of his hands to Noctis, where he bares small, old scars around his metacarpals. “Sleeping, eating, and cheating would also land you in long-term detention, or sometimes even suspension for people who did it too often. I remember a few students got expelled for starting a fight, and some were just bystanders! We also had two divided gym courses that separated the girls and the boys, and health class isn’t very informative in Niflheim, if you know what I mean.”

“Yeah, I get it.” Noctis says softly while staring into his food, trying to picture the bleakness of such a place.

“Private school is the only option in Niflheim, but it’s really expensive. If you can’t afford education, you don’t get any. It fuckin’ sucks.” Following the statement, Prompto shoves a pile of salad into his mouth and merrily chews. Noctis doesn’t like to pry too much, but now he feels like he can’t stop the questions from pouring out of his mouth; he’s never been this close to someone from Niflheim before, and wants to absorb as much first-hand knowledge as he can.

At this point, his food is going ignored. “What were the other students like?”

“Hmm,” Prompto swallows his food and scratches his head, thinking back on the memories. “Really quiet.” He answers resolutely, then eats another hefty bite of salad. He speaks with a mouthful, “I remember no one wanted to make any friends during school because they were scared of the teachers, but outside of school, things weren’t bad.”

“Tell me about it?” Noctis takes a bite of his sandwich, but focuses his complete attention on the blonde, resting his head on his hand and gazing at the other’s profile with the utmost heed. 

Prompto chuckles, “Ok, well, people in Niflheim are generally pretty poor.” He says bluntly, “The people pride physical labor or trade over other jobs, and the pay is really competitive, so artists are kind of rare. You’ll find a lot of farmers, and miners, architects, doctors, construction workers, engineers, teachers, soldiers...” He goes on, almost rambling, “Some professions are rare just because the emperor kind of keeps them like pets?”

“ _What_?”

“Sorry, I think that came out wrong,” Prompto laughs, “Remember when I said that artists are hard to come by? I mean artists of all kinds. Hair stylists are specially appointed, chefs and bakers require a lot of education, scientists are held in _super_ high esteem; and if you wanna be a painter, sculptor, writer or musician, you’d _better_ be able to impress the Emperor. Otherwise, you can kiss your money and your dreams goodbye - and don't even _think_ about being a philosopher. It's out of the question.”

“That sounds miserable,” Noctis says honestly with a frown.

“It is, but you’d be surprised at how happy the people are!” The blonde grins again, “The people of Niflheim are very family reliant, and really affectionate! Everyone values happiness, even in the darkness, and the cold. I’ve met a lot of people only to see them die from hypothermia or starvation, and I’ve seen a lot of innocent people killed by soldiers, but that doesn’t snuff out the hope people hold in their hearts. The community is really strong, and if there’s anything I miss, it’s the families I knew.”

The Prince slowly takes a breath and clears his throat, “I’m gonna go to the bathroom real quick, I’ll be right back.” He mutters and slaps Prompto on the back a couple of times, then stands up and walks out of the lunchroom and into one of the men’s rooms. He locks himself in one of the stalls, the rest of the room being fortunately empty, and leans against the wall holding an empty stare. His polarized mind is buzzing with dis-ease, and he begins to bite nervously at his nails, bouncing back and forth between thoughts.  
It’s come to Noctis’ attention that suddenly everything he has known about Niflheim probably isn’t that accurate, and it genuinely startles him. Ultimately, the Prince decides this is something he can’t just let go or independently research, that won’t do any good. He pulls his phone out of his pocket, and calls his Adviser.

Ignis sits alone in a pristine office space, his eyes glued to several documents placed meticulously across his dark wood table, and his left hand is writing fervently at a report amidst it all. Classical music plays quietly in the background off a record player, but his concentration is swiftly broken when his phone, sitting at the edge of the table, begins to ring and vibrate. Without hesitation, he grabs the phone and already knows who it is that is calling, which beckons for his concern. He answers, “Noctis?”

“Ignis.” The Prince responds emptily on the other end of the line.

The Advisers brows furrow and he leans back in his chair, “Is everything alright?” He asks slowly, the worry evident in his voice.

“Yeah, I guess. Um,” There’s a pause, and a sigh, “Can you come over tonight?”

Ignis stays quiet for a moment, looking over all the documents before him, “Why? I was there last night, do you need something from me?”

“I just need to talk to you.” Noctis insists, his tone increasing in it’s severity. “It’s really important, so can you come over? You don’t even have to make dinner, I don’t care.”

Ignis can automatically feel the Prince’s stress through the phone and is quick to try and coax him, “Alright, don’t worry, I’ll be there, and dinner won’t be an issue. Though I’m kind of in the middle of something important that must be finished by the evening, will it bother you for me to bring it with me?”

“It won’t be a problem if you actually pay attention to me.”

The brunette frowns, “Of course I’ll pay attention to you, Noct. I promise I will listen.”

There’s silence, but that seems to calm Noctis’ nerves, and he concedes, “Ok.”

“I’ll see you tonight, then.”

“Alright, see ya.” Noctis then abruptly ends the call without another word. 

Ignis exhales all the breath in his lungs and drops the phone onto the table. He takes his glasses off and rubs at the bridge of his nose, closes his eyes, and tries to relieve the anxiety that steadily crawls up his spine. Trapped in secrecy between the King and the Prince, Ignis _knows_ a storm is brewing, and he is the least bit comfortable walking on the edge of the knife between what is propriety, and what is purely the right thing to do when it comes to aiding Noctis. This sudden ambition to sit down and _talk_ is in fact a red flag, because Noctis doesn’t like the confrontation that comes with sitting down face-to-face and speaking over an issue. Ignis can hardly get Noctis to open up to him at all nowadays, and so the haste from the Prince is alarming, to say the least. 

Noctis drops his head against the wall of the stall and takes a few deep breaths to slow his racing heart. It took a lot for him to work up the nerve to call Ignis, but he’s happy he made the decision to get the Adviser back to his house. It might cause a lot of problems, but at his age, Noctis is steadily losing his care for keeping things orderly and under wraps. He wants to be informed and ready to help himself, not be protected from the truth.

He exits the bathroom stall and hovers over the sink while rubbing cold water on his face, clearing himself of the sudden consternation, and then returns back to the lunchroom. He sits at Prompto’s side and gawks, “You already ate it all? I was gone for like, 5 minutes.”

“I was hungry!” The blonde laughs innocently, “And it tasted really good.”

“Well then,” Noctis casually pushes his salad and apple over onto Prompto’s tray, “You can have the rest of that.”

“You don’t want it?”

“Nah, my appetite kinda dropped off. I think I’m just gonna finish my sandwich and save the cookie for later.”

“Suit yourself,” Prompto shrugs, and makes quick work of demolishing the pawned salad. Noctis wasn’t necessarily lying about his appetite problem, but it’s well known he has an aversion for vegetables, and it’s better for the food to go to someone who wants it over the garbage can anyways. 

“My next class is in the west wing, so I can’t take you to English, but you passed it on the way here. It’ll be on your left side going back the way you came.”

“Oh ok, that’s fine.”

“Also after that we both have gym, do you have a uniform?”

“Nah, it was supposed to come in the mail, but I think it’ll show up late. Will it be ok if I just don’t change?”  
Noctis leans back and looks the blonde up and down, comically displaying everything needed to be said with his facial expression alone. From the dress shoes, to the tight slacks, to the blazer and the tie, there is _nothing_ Prompto wears that is comfortable enough to participate in a physical education class in.  
“Alright I get it, stupid question, but I’ll just get in trouble if I sit out.”

Noctis shakes his head, “We have spare uniforms you can use until you get the one you paid for, but they’re used.”

“I really couldn’t care less dude,” Prompto laughs, “A little used clothing never hurt anyone.”

“Low maintenance, huh?”

“Life is easier that way, I think.” The blonde says wisely with a shrug.

“Touché.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy the story so far.  
> If you have anything you'd like to say to me about the story or you have any questions, please don't be afraid to comment and I'll try to respond to the best of my ability.
> 
> Also, I take CONSTRUCTIVE and INTELLECTUAL criticism. If you're not an asshole, I have no problems with advice or thoughts that are imperative to helping me write this story better; I value true and honest reviews, not pointless hate.
> 
> Thanks!  
> -Dominik.
> 
> (this same note will be at the end of every chapter, please don't mind the repetition <3)


	5. Friendly Competition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a chapter where random students begin to get more involved with the story surrounding Noctis and Prompto. Though they are named and eventually recurring characters, I do _not_ consider them to be 'OC's' in any sense, I just found it impossible to progress this high-school centric story in an interesting and fulfilling way without including other random people around the pair. It's hard enough writing Noctis as an extreme loner, and the two don't live in a bubble. I hope the addition of random and non-cannon characters to the universe isn't too distracting, pretentious, or that it takes away from the universe already being used.
> 
> Enjoy.

Prompto and Noctis meet each other in the locker rooms prior to gym starting, where the rest of the guys in the class are getting ready. The large and cavernous room is loud, filled and echoing with the boisterous conversations of random among all the male students as they switch uniforms. The Prince presents the blonde with the promised hand-me-down uniform, consisting of a t-shirt and basketball shorts, then tosses it directly onto his head.

The blonde struggles with the clothes for a moment, and then glares at Noctis, who just laughs and shrugs it off as he loosens his tie and pull it over his head, then unbuttons the white shirt from his chest; and Prompto tries not to stare, but can’t really help himself. Noctis’ torso is long, lean, and pristinely pale, with small bruises here and there, along with old scars.  
“You guys just... Change out in the open?” He asks wearily.

“Are you telling me that you didn’t do this in Niflheim either?” Noctis bares Prompto a completely baffled expression.

“Well, only the most confident guys did.” Prompto shrugs and also begins to strip, “Since school sucked so much, bullying was a pretty big problem, and a lot of the kids had body image issues too, so they would take turns changing in the stalls so no one would get, uh,” The blonde blushes, “Like harassed, ya know?”

Noctis immediately notices upon nonchalantly taking a glance at Prompto's shirtless upper body, that he is significantly more muscular than the Prince expected. Though his shoulders are narrow, and petitely pointed, his chest is firm, abs more well defined than his own, and Prompto's arms are clearly worked on actively. The rest of his body is speckled with the same orange tinted freckles that are sprayed on his face, but also strangely riddled with faded pink ribbons of scars and stretch marks, haloing around his abdomen and spreading like tiny, flowing vines around his biceps.  
At first Noctis is surprised by the showing of health from his new companion, but then remembers that Prompto was a farmer, a remarkably physically intensive job and at times probably a dangerous one, and that seems to explain it all to him. He neglects to open his mouth about any of his thoughts, be them of interest or general curiosity, and this is mostly due to embarrassment.

“... Right...” Noctis clears his throat uncomfortably and continues to undress, shoves his uniform uncaringly into a locker, and then switches into the gym clothes. Prompto does the same, taking up Noctis on an offer to share a locker until the blonde gets a padlock of his own. The borrowed uniform is a little big on him.  
“Is there a drawstring?” Noctis asks while looking at the baggy clothes, trying to conceal amusement.

“Negatory,” Prompto sighs, and then gasps at the thought of a solution. He digs through Noctis’ locker and fiddles with his backpack, only to pull off a pin that was on it. He then bunches the oversized waistline on the shorts, and uses the metal button like a safety pin to keep them up.

“Good thinking,” Noctis pats Prompto on the back, “Now you won’t have to worry about being _harassed_ for having your pants fall down.”

“And it’s gonna stay that way,” The blonde chuckles bashfully. "Hey, what about my shoes?" Prompto looks down, noticing he still only has dress shoes, and the Prince snorts a laugh,"

"Guess you'll have to deal with looking like a goon."

"Isn't that kind of-"

"Alright ladies!" Prompto is interrupted by a thundering voice that echoes through the locker room, and Noctis rolls his eyes at the intrusion. "Get your panties on and let's go! Hurry up!"

The blonde smirks, "Stereotype much?"

Noctis grimaces, "He's on steroids. If you don't want an emotionally unstable scolding, I wouldn't say anything."

"Loud and clear." Prompto zips his fingers across his lips. All the boys in the locker room group together and flood into the gymnasium at once, then spread out among the bleachers where the girls are already dispersed. Of course, Prompto seats himself beside Noctis, and hears a group of girls giggling nearby.

"Just ignore them," Noctis says knowingly with a sigh.

"Like the rest?" Prompto smirks and rolls his sleeves tightly up to his shoulders. Noctis glances at his arms, but resigns to say anything at all. While the Prince is staring off without any attention, the blonde decides it's in his best interest to take his school shoes and socks off, and he tucks them underneath the bleachers, casually opting to go barefoot.

The gym teacher walks across the floor with his hands on his hips, pushing his gut out and holding his head high. “Listen up little tikes! Today we’re doing relay courses! How many minutes are in an hour and a half?”  
A few students answer ‘130’ aloud, enough for him to feel accomplished. “That’s right! And what is 130 divided by 8?” The students follow with 16. “Right again! Now if you look at the gym here, you’ll see there are seven areas divided up for all of you, one of which including,” The teacher expands his arms, showing off the room before turning back to the bleachers and grinning, “ _The rope climb._ ”

“Dammit,” Noctis curses under his breath. Up until that moment, he’d been ignoring the ropes hanging high from the ceiling, hoping maybe they’d just go away if he didn’t see them for long enough. Clearly he was mistaken.

“One station there has medicine balls set up for tossing, another for double jump ropes, and one more section is along the wall over there with the pull up bars. The other three sections of the gym are open space for floor activities, including sit ups, pushups, and squats. For 16 minutes, groups of you are going to rotate through each station and participate in the activities.” Despite the groaning protests of the students, the gym teacher continues happily and holds up a timer with one hand, and a clipboard with the other. “In pairs, you’re going to time each other, or count for each other, and document how well you do. Any questions?”

“Why are we doing this?” Noctis mumbles, staring blankly across the shined floor of the gymnasium.

“Sounds fun to me,” Prompto smiles and shrugs. Noctis doesn’t even want to know what gym could’ve been like at his old school, so instead of prying, he says nothing again.

“Good! Pair up and come get yourself a clipboard and a timer!” The teacher beams with excitement, ready to watch the students over-exert themselves while his oversized self sits on the sidelines in peace.

“You wanna be partners?” Noctis asks, his voice lacking any enthusiasm at all.

“Sure!” Prompto grins and pushes the Prince towards the gym teacher.

“Ah Noctis, you got yourself a partner today? That’s new.” The gym teacher teases the Prince while jotting down on a clipboard of his own. “Who is he?”

Noctis snorts, “Prompto, new kid.”

“Oh right, I thought I saw an unfamiliar name on here.” The teacher sniffs and holds the clipboard away from his face, staring at it for a long time before slowly enunciating, “Ar-Gen-Tum. That you, blondie?”

“Yup!” Prompto only smiles, then takes a timer and a clipboard.

“Work hard, Caelum. I’ll be reviewing your scores after class!” The teacher barks, but Noctis ignores him while they walk away.

“Seems like he already knows you don’t wanna be here,” Prompto chuckles softly while tinkering with the stopwatch as they wander into one of the sectioned off zones of the gym. They end up positioning themselves at the square set for sit ups, which is made clear by a floor sign that declares it so.

“Every day.” Noctis sighs despondently, then lays down across the floor with his limbs lazily spread out. He’s just happy the teacher didn’t call him out on being a Prince again, which would unluckily have been right in front of someone who doesn't need that information yet.  
Prompto sits down and extends his legs, knocking their feet together and trying to get Noctis’ attention, who puts in the least amount of work possibly and only lifts his head.

“You want me to count?”

“Be my guest.” Noctis groans and drops his head back against the hardwood.

“Alright maggots! Your time is about to start! For 16 minutes, do whatever it is that your station instructs, then rotate clockwise! Am I clear?” His voice travels across the gym, while the resolute ‘yes’ from the students is barely enough to reach his ears. The digital clock on the wall audibly beeps, and students begin the courses. Noctis and Prompto lock their ankles together and begin to do sit-ups, with Prompto counting their lifts in unison up until about 25, when Noct begins to slow down. Every second he becomes slower is a second added to Prompto sitting up, and politely waiting so he can continue counting.  
Eventually around 40, Noctis lays flat on his back and groans in annoyance.

"Y'know what, just keep going, I'll count mine."

"No way dude, I want to stay at the same number."

Noctis drags his hands back under his head and slowly sits up, then drops them against the floor while staring exasperated at the blonde. "Really?"

"41," Prompto says with a grin, "I'll wait, so just take your time. It's better to push slowly anyways," He shrugs, and then lays back down.

Noctis rolls his eyes, flattered by the sweetness, "Fine." He drops back down, and the two continue on. By the end of the 16 minutes, the pair complete about 300 sit ups and move on to the next section, the dreaded rope climb. Prompto scribbles their number of sit-ups on the clipboard paper while they wait in line to go up the two ropes directly beside each other. The teacher is having each pair of partners go up at the same time while timing them at his own hand.

When Prompto and Noctis get to the front, Prompto points at the watch in the teacher’s hand, “Is this for a grade?”

“No, just a little friendly competition to keep you kiddies motivated.” The teacher says with a grin, “Don’t you wanna know whos faster?”

Prompto then looks over at Noctis and smirks ruthlessly, as suddenly the tables have turned. “Sorry, Noct.”

“Sorry? What do you mean _sorry_?” The Prince stares at the blonde shrewdly, and then without warning the gym teacher shouts for them to begin climbing, while starting the timer. Prompto fires off like a bullet up the rope, his lean legs extended past the rope at a 90 degree angle while his arms pull up his weight entirely.  
Noctis climbs the rope with his hands and his ankles, moving more akin to an earth worm, but he is noticeably slower than Prompto is - so much so that Noctis favors looking up at the blonde as he climbs with obnoxious speed to the ceiling of the gymnasium, watching his arms flex and pull with ease until it’s time to climb back down. All in all, it took Prompto about 14 seconds to climb the 24 foot rope, while Noctis clocks in at 30.  
As soon as his feet hit the ground, Noctis collapses into a puddle beside the large blue mats beneath the ropes, as the next pair begin their own climb. Prompto doesn’t neglect to write their scores down on the paper, and he does so with a competitive grin.

“Where did you learn to do that? And why?” Noctis asks while gasping for breath.

“I’m just good at upper body stuff,” Prompto shrugs, heavily breathing to a lesser extent. “That was tough though, for sure. The longest ropes I've climbed are about half that.” He watches as the next two people climb the ropes, and it seems Noctis’ time is an average for the rest of the pairs in their section unit.

After the other 15 pairs have all finished, the students lay exhausted on the floor, scattered around the ropes while the gym teacher stands beside them with his hands on his hips. “Well the time isn’t up yet - who wants to see another round?” He smiles mischievously. The students look at each other, and then back at the teacher curiously. “Werner, you’re up.” He calls to one of the students, to which a tall boy stands up and jogs up to the ropes; Noctis instantly recognizes him as one of the football players for the school.  
“And...” The gym teacher’s eyes scan over the page multiple times before he finds the name, “Argentum. Get up here.”

The blonde’s eyes widen and he stands up, then cautiously walks up to the ropes. “What’s happening exactly?”

“You two had the fastest times, so you two are gonna go up and see who’s faster.” The teacher’s grin widens. Suddenly the teacher notices something, "Son, why are you barefoot?"

Prompto looks down, and then back up and innocently smiles, "I forgot tennis shoes?"

The teacher observes him for a moment, and if it weren't for his fast climb times, would probably begin scolding him. Instead, he smiles, "I like your perseverance kid."

"Thanks!"

“Hey man, I’m Matias.” The jock interrupts them and smiles, then holds out his hand, “You new?”

“Yeah, I’m Prompto.”

“Nice to race ya,” The taller teen then holds out his fist, and they bump hands.

“You too,” The blonde nods awkwardly, and then glances over his shoulder at Noctis. To his surprise, the Prince is sitting up at full attention and flashes him a thumbs up for encouragement. Prompto nods and takes a deep breath while looking at the rope - obviously this isn’t that big a deal, but now that he _knows_ Noctis is watching, it automatically adds pressure.  
The teacher counts them off, and up the ropes the two boys climb. Prompto and Matias both seem to have a somewhat equal amount of upper body strength, but Prompto ultimately has much less body mass, and more reason to be dedicated to winning. He reaches the top of the rope only two seconds faster than the meathead, but his personal best time ended up faster by a whole four seconds.

“That’s 10!” The teacher cheers with excitement when the two boys touch the ground, which Noctis thinks is a completely mindless amount of celebration considering the unimportant context of the race. After all, it wasn’t a football game, or even a match with a reward, just some statistics on paper and a bit of entertainment.  
Still, he’s proud of Prompto, even if he resigns to admit it to himself.

The jock jostles Prompto around, congratulating him excitedly and then pushing Prompto off to where the blonde wobbles tiredly back to the Prince’s side. They bump fists as Prompto falls into a crossed legged position on the ground. “Ahhh,” He exhales dramatically, throwing his head back and staring up at the ceiling, “That was hard!”

“You did really good, that was fun to watch.” Noctis chuckles and gives his friend a pat on the back in congratulations. “Only 6 seconds faster and you’ll have a world record.”

“Oh yeah, we’ll go for that one tomorrow.” Prompto scoffs sarcastically and rakes his hand through his sweaty hair. Noctis, unbeknownst to himself, really can’t help but stare at the blonde, sweaty and tired but glowing in his effort. The Prince, however, is not the only one staring at Prompto’s taxed muscles and heaving chest, as a small bundle of girls off to the side of them giggle and chat amongst themselves about the two boys.

“Hey,” Noctis slaps the back of his hand against Prompto’s chest, quickly catching the other’s attention. He gestures to the girls, “Told ya you’d have some followers.”

Prompto blushes and rubs his neck, “That’s nice, but I think they’re excited because I’m also just sitting beside you.” He says humbly with a wide smirk, and Noctis chuckles,

“I wish that didn’t have some truth to it - you deserve credit for that climb.” He pokes Prompto’s arm, who giggles and retracts, clearly ticklish.  
More students regardless of their pairings race up the ropes until the 16 minutes are up, and then it’s time to move on - the next segment being the double jump, or double _dutch_ ropes, for students who are better at the game.

One pair of students will grab the two ropes and swing, while the other pair will take turns jumping in and simply seeing how long they can last. Almost before Noctis and Prompto have time to survey options for a second pair of students, two girls assert themselves.  
One girl is tan, with sweeping auburn bangs and curled ends feathering around her shoulders, while the other girl is pale, her long and straight black hair nearly touching her hips and perfectly cut bangs dragging across her eyebrows. They huddle together, feigning strength as a couple.

“Would you mind if we work with you?” The black haired girl asks, her voice mousy, almost duplicitous. She never breaks eye contact with the Prince, and her appealing smile is hard to deny. Noctis and Prompto share a glance and shrug, 

“Don’t see why not.” The blonde smiles back.  
Apparently their nonchalant response is a total surprise to the girls, who quickly grin and grab some ropes with more haste than needed. Noctis is used to this over-excited and unnecessary reaction to any encounter he has, but Prompto is new to such attention.  
“That was easy,” He laughs timidly.

“Always is,” Noctis mumbles and kisses his teeth, trying not to get annoyed at the repetition in all his daily encounters.

“You seem really beat up about the popularity thing,” Prompto chuckles, unable to understand the position the Prince is coming from as he steps between the two ropes that the girls on either side giggle and hold at the ready. Noctis kneels down on the ground and starts the timer as the girls begin to swing the ropes, and Prompto flows with them easily, tapping his feet with life against the ground. The Prince glances between the two young women, concerned about sharing sensitive information between them, but finds that they are only focused on staring at Prompto and his fluffy, bouncing hair.

“Yeah, I am.” Noctis says bleakly, but honestly.

“Why? Doesn’t it make things easier for you? I mean,” Prompto begins to rotate in his bounding steps over the ropes, trying to have more fun with the rather boring activity. “If you need a partner for something, you always have one. If you want someone to talk to, someone's probably already there. I know you don’t like fake friends or whatever, but aren’t you being a little conservative?”

It’s true that Prompto is secretly Niflheim’s Prince in hiding, but it is also true that he really has no experience being in Noctis’ openly royal shoes. Not only is Prompto’s true status as a Prince currently being hidden in Insomnia, it was also kept a secret in Niflheim - because back in his homeland, it was actively dangerous to be out and about in the public as a royal. Not to mention, school life, as Prompto has already divulged to Noctis, was imperatively strict and tightly monitored; there was significantly less room to breathe and have fun, and absorb a youthful school experience. Outside of school, Prompto had flourishing relationships with his peers, but that was _because_ no one knew who he truly was; none had ever been to his personal home or met his parents, only ever encountering a ‘family friend’ that would occasionally accompany the blonde.  
Noctis doesn’t know about that slack freedom in any sense. Ironically, though they share two different sides of the same coin, they are blissfully unaware of each other’s differing lifestyles up until this exact moment.

Noctis sighs, “Honestly, I’d rather not bother with the whole social game here at all. I mean, I’m lonely, yeah - but it’s better than constantly dealing with stupid manipulative bullshit that could be avoided all together.”

“I guess I get that,” Prompto shrugs, slightly changing his jumping from time to time to spice up the activity, and the girls gradually increase their pace. “But _not everyone is out to get you._ ” He remarks with a bit of attitude, and the comment is anything but purposeless.

Of course, unknowing to Prompto's background, it goes over Noctis' head. “You’re probably right, but it’s easier to ignore the opportunity. Being by myself hurts, but it hurts less than having to let go all the time. I’ve already had to do that enough.”

“What do you mean?” The worry in Prompto’s face betrays his relaxed tone of speaking, and he becomes distracted by the conversation, allowing one foot to linger on the ground too long and get swept up by the ropes.

Noctis smiles without showing his teeth, that odd flattening of his lips despite the corners turning upward. “2 minutes 46 seconds.”

“Ugh,” Prompto takes Noctis’ place on the ground, and as he’s writing down the results, the auburn haired girl smiles innocently and bows her head, whispering a gentle,

“ _Your Highness._ ” To Noctis, as she readies her ropes.

“Yeah, thanks.” The Prince sighs, offering her the barest minimum reaction, trying to be polite despite his annoyance.

“Are you ready?” The black haired girl adds on the other side of him, biting her lip flirtatiously and gently tugging on the ropes.

Noctis sucks in a callous breath and nods casually, “Go for it.” Her charms mean nothing to him.

Prompto, sitting on the ground now and starting the timer, watches as Noctis bounces over the ropes without breaking a sweat. In a dramatized sense, he floats easily over the ropes, seeming experienced. It should seem the end of their conversation on the tensing topic has concluded, but Prompto doesn’t have a very good sense at knowing those things. He continues,  
“So what, you don’t have like, _any_ friends?” He asks with a chuckle, thinking the question is silly, but Noctis doesn’t respond with the same fondness.

“Not really.” He answers flatly, and Prompto’s joyful expression quickly drops.

The auburn haired girl giggles quietly, “I’ll be your friend, Prince Noctis.”

“That’s very sweet of you,” Noctis smiles in a façade of appreciation.

“Huh?” Prompto turns his head, unable to hear their quiet exchange properly over all the sounds in the gym.

“Nothing,” Noctis waves his hand and sighs, “It’s not a bad thing that I don’t have friends, Prompto. Just _a thing_ that I choose to live with.”

Prompto scoffs and offers the Prince a sympathetic smile, “I don’t think it’s that easy.”

Noctis lours at him, “Why’s that?”

“I think it’s just like you said - you’d rather hold everyone else at arms length so you don’t have to worry about what they _could_ do to you, because inevitably it’s probably bound to happen, ‘cuz most people just suck.” Prompto shrugs, “I don’t really know you that well yet, but I know you don’t _like_ it that way, that’s for sure. You just _choose_ to have it that way.”

Noctis gets tripped over his own feet and ends up standing still, with the ropes gently slapping against him due to the sudden cease of motion. He glances at the two girls, and then sighs cantankerously and holds out his hand to the auburn haired one, asking silently for the ropes. The girl smiles, her gentle gaze is tinged with melancholy at the conversation between the two young men, and then she bows her head upon handing the rope over. “That’s a little assuming,” Is all he mutters, bitterly, in response.

Prompto sighs loudly, “Dammit, you beat me. 3 minutes and 23 seconds.” He pushes himself off the ground and switches positions with the black haired girl, then he smiles charismatically, “What’s your name?”

“Eveline,” She pauses and looks over her shoulder, her silky hair swaying like water across her back, and she smiles, “But you can call me Eve.” She then looks over at the auburn haired girl and smiles, “That’s Andreia, she’s shy.” The other girl blushes on cue.

“Nice to meet you guys! My name’s Prompto,” The blonde smiles, easily outgoing and far more extroverted than he gives himself credit for. “You ladies already know Noctis though, right?” He smirks mischievously.

“Oh yes~” Eve winks at the Prince and takes a graceful seat on the ground while Andreia steps between the ropes, her dainty hands folded in front of her lap while she waits in silence for the boys to begin.

“You ready?” Noctis asks in a low tone, and she nods, still blushing furiously. The two boys begin to turn the ropes, which she easily skips over. 

After a couple awkward moments, Prompto opens up his mouth again, a little relentless in his questioning of the Prince. “Did I overstep?” He asks with a guilty smile.

“You did,” Noctis meets his eyes, and he smiles back, “But I’d rather hear it from you than my, uh,” The Prince pauses, and laughs, “My guardian.”

Prompto gives him a curious look, “Did something happen to your dad?”

Noctis figures he must have remembered the comment from earlier. “He just doesn’t really have time to, ya know, be my dad.” He says casually with a shrug, “Someone else looks after me in his place,” Sly azure eyes situate back on the blonde, “Maybe one day you’ll get to meet him.”

Prompto laughs wolfishly, “Don’t do that to me! That’s so much pressure, I guess you weren’t lying about an expensive status, huh?”

“No kidding,” Eve says from the side, eyeing the Prince with suspicion.

Noctis’ smile dissipates as he looks at her, and he's suddenly implanted with the image of a snake in mind. “I’m not a liar.” He says firmly, but to Eve or Prompto, the ladder isn’t sure. Inherently that’s true, as Noctis hasn’t explicitly _lied_ about anything yet, he just hasn’t been transparent, and intends to keep it that way; and although Prompto can sense something fishy is among them, he, on the other hand, _is_ lying, and also intends to keep it that way.  
This time, he doesn’t let the conversation linger on.

Andreia, still jumping rope, begins to stomp her feet in rhythm with the rope, adding more flare to the activity. Prompto openly marvels at the talent, which seems to bother Eve, because she suddenly stands up and turns off the timer.  
“Screw this,” She says with a smile, and after a couple calculated moments of waiting, she jumps between the ropes and joins her friend in a friendly and relaxed match of double dutch. The two girls stomp their feet, clap their hands, and spin whimsically around each other, dancing like butterflies in tandem with the two moving ropes. Prompto’s enthusiasm for the girls is unbarred, and he has no shame in telling them they’re doing great, but Noctis is plainly bored.

Soon the clock on the wall sounds, signaling the end of 16 minutes, and the ropes stop their swinging. The two girls laugh joyously at the fun they had and gather their things, and as they walk away Eve stops, grazing her fingers down Prompto’s carved arm and smiling, “Thanks for the help,” She then continues off on her way at Andreia’s side, leaving Prompto a little lost for words.

Noctis just stares at him in disappointment, and the blonde shrugs, “They were really cute.”

“There are lots of cute girls here, let’s go.” The Prince responds without any interest whatsoever.

“You’re such a buzzkill!” Prompto groans while following behind him, “Friends will hurt you, I get it, but a little fun won’t!” He shoves Noctis’ arm, trying to be a positive encouragement.

“Teenage girls are dangerous,” Noctis falls to Prompto’s charms and smiles, “I’m just stayin’ on guard. I don't like being manipulated.”

“Most definitely,” Prompto nods with sarcasm, “The quiet one was the worst. I can hold your hand, if you’re still scared of their secret plans.”

“Shut up!” Noctis shoves him back, and they settle argumentatively into the next course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy the story so far.  
> If you have anything you'd like to say to me about the story or you have any questions, please don't be afraid to comment and I'll try to respond to the best of my ability.
> 
> Also, I take CONSTRUCTIVE and INTELLECTUAL criticism. If you're not an asshole, I have no problems with advice or thoughts that are imperative to helping me write this story better; I value true and honest reviews, not pointless hate.
> 
> Thanks!  
> -Dominik.
> 
> (this same note will be at the end of every chapter, please don't mind the repetition <3)


	6. Less Friendly Competition

The truth is, Noctis wasn't just simply uninterested in Eve or Andreia - he has no care for women _at all,_ and he has tried many times before to try and figure out why. He's gone on searches to see if perhaps he just didn't know what his type was, but Noctis has _no_ type for girls. It doesn't matter what their hair or skin looks like, how tall or short they are, how they dress, what their voice sounds like or what their personalities are; Noctis just doesn't like women.  
He's _definitely_ not gay, though, obviously not. Even though the most attractive people he notices are all men, and even though he's had more than one embarrassing dream about both Ignis and Gladio in his adolescence, the Prince of Lucis _could_ not be gay, and as such, simply isn't - because if the Prince were gay, there would be no heir to the throne, there would be no marrying Lunafreya to help tie nations together, but there would be _outrage_ at even the _notion_ of Noctis being gay, and so, he isn't.  
On all accounts, Noctis tells himself he is not gay, and he refuses to even think of the possibility, treating it like the shadow in his closet that it is and always will be. When he stares absentmindedly at the other boys in the locker room, he ignores why and claims it's disassociation distracting him yet again. When he gets hung up on the way certain uniforms fit certain male students, he doesn't admit why. When Noctis accidentally catches longing feelings for other guys he can't bare to build relationships with, he buries the feelings, and pretends they were nothing more than a fever dream to begin with.

His relationship with Prompto will be no different, Noctis assures himself.

The next section they two teens are forced to wander into has a row of medicine balls arranged in a line, which makes Prompto initially panic.  
“We aren’t gonna play dodgeball with those, right?”

Noctis hums, “Not if you’re a coward.” He looks at the blonde, and seeing the expression drenched with concern, immediately erupts in laughter, “Kidding, we have to toss ‘em back and forth.” 

“Ok, good,” Prompto chuckles as the two boys set themselves up with a ball, only at a small distance apart to start.

“You scared of dodgeball or something?” 

“No, no, I was really good at dodgeball - but I’ve never played with anything heavier than a basketball.” Prompto shrugs as he tosses the small, 10 pound ball.

Noctis catches it, “You’ve played dodgeball with basketballs? Why would you do that?”

“We thought it’d be funny,” He shrugs, “And it was, until someone got a broken nose on accident. We weren’t allowed to touch the gym equipment without permission after that.” 

“Right,” Noctis chuckles and tosses the ball back to him, “Sports popular over there?”

“Um, kind of. Sports are mostly an extracurricular activity though, and the only sports taught in school are football, soccer, and swimming. Pretty much unless you’re good enough to make a national team, no one really cares, and you definitely won’t be getting a scholarship for it.” 

“Sounds lame,” Noctis says as he receives the ball again. “Did you play anything?”

“I liked swimming, but I didn’t like practicing every day.”

“ _Every day?_ Even the football team here only holds mandatory practices twice a week.”

Prompto smirks, “If you’re not training to represent the mothership in the Olympics, you shouldn’t be training at all. Makes sense, right?”

Noctis laughs, the sound tinged with sympathetic misfortune. “Sounds like Niflheim only cares about producing soldiers, if not for one thing than another.”

“Sometime’s, yeah.” Prompto gently sighs, looking more downcast in regards to the subject - which makes Noct feel a little guilty for commenting so rashly. They toss the ball back and forth a few more times, before Noctis gets a hold of it and stops, staring down at the small gap between them.

“You wanna move back a little farther?” He asks, and Prompto shrugs and takes a few steps back. They toss the ball a few more times but then he stops again, and smirks, “A little farther?”

Prompto picks up now, “You really wanna try this?”

“Can you handle it?” Despite knowing now that Prompto is significantly more able to handle _throwing_ a 10 pound ball back and forth than he is, Noctis still teases with a smirk, rotating the ball in his hands while waiting for the other to move.

“Just don’t be upset if I break your nose, Noct. It’s a really good nose.” Prompto jokes casually as he takes a few more steps back, and now the real game begins. At first it’s actually not that difficult, but as the tossing drags on at a longer distance, Noctis quickly becomes fatigued - and that’s obvious to the gym teacher not far from their segregated lot, who amidst watching them suddenly yells,

“ _Caelum!_ ” And easily distracts the Prince, who looks over at the teacher and away from the ball as Prompto mistakenly throws it. As a result, it lands on his foot.

Noctis’ eyes widen, and then his entire face immediately scrunches in pain as he slowly sinks to the ground, groaning and holding his foot until he reaches it. Prompto immediately runs to the Prince’s side just as the teacher from across the way does the same, and a considerable number of students also come to crowd around.  
“Fuck dude, are you ok?”

Noctis lays his head against the floor, “Yeah it’s ok,” He says, voice tight and constricted through his teeth as he tries to manage the intense aching in his foot.

The teacher shoves his way through the students and joins Prompto, kneeling beside the Prince, “What the Hell were you two doing, throwing the ball like that? It’s 10 pounds!”

Noctis deeply sighs, catching his breath, “We got bored, and it's not that heavy...” He answers vaguely, but Prompto quickly steps in,

“Uh, it was my idea. I’m sorry.” He takes the blame while Noctis lays tight lipped and unable to protest.

The gym teacher scoffs and shakes his head in disbelief, “The fresh meat is already causing trouble, huh? Do you know what kind of trouble you’ll get in, hurting the Pr-”

Suddenly Noctis groans loudly, disrupting the teacher before he can spoil the truth. “Is it broken?” He asks dramatically, trying to be a distraction.

The teacher gawks, suddenly realizing that if Noctis’ foot is broken, the blame will be shifted to _him_ , and not the teenager - and who knows what the King will do in that event. Without haste, the teacher carefully lifts Noctis’ ankle, and even more gently slips off the running shoe and sock over it. He examines the swollen, red foot and pokes at it. Although it stings, the pain is becoming more numb as the seconds tick past, not shooting or excruciating, and that’s a positive sign that his foot is, fortunately, not broken.  
“Thank you, Gods,” The teacher then carelessly drops Noctis’ foot to wipe the sweat off his chubby brow. “Noctis, no more leg exercises for you. Do some pull ups and you’re done, got it?”

Noctis, still abusing the moment and laying on the ground, only nods in confirmation. The rest of the students begin to disperse, but Prompto stays at his side.  
“Sorry Noct, I didn’t expect that to happen.” He says self consciously, looking over the Prince’s lethargic form huddled on the floor.

“Nah, it wasn’t your fault... Not entirely.” Noctis sighs and sits up, looking at his foot and rolling it around, “That’s gonna hurt like a bitch later.”

“Well, at least it wasn’t your nose,” Prompto chuckles sheepishly.

“Yeah, and I get to sit out of most of the other shit now, thanks to you.” Noctis smiles and slaps Prompto’s arm, “Way to go.”

“Yeah, you’re welcome for that.” The blonde chuckles, and then pauses, “I guess we’re done tossing the ball then?”

“I’d say so.”

“Well, that’s ok,” Prompto leans down and whispers, “I wasn’t counting anyway.” He then smirks and extends his hand for the Prince.

The hushed voice sends an anomalous shiver up Noctis’ spine, and Prompto’s hand radiates warmth as Noctis grabs it and lifts himself up, faltering on his right foot. “Thanks, Prom.”

The blonde blinks a couple times at the sudden nickname, but then smiles, “Course dude, I thought I might have to drag you over to the bars.”

“You’d only have been prolonging the inevitable,” Noctis sighs, lamenting having to stand back up after spending so much energy tossing the medicine ball back and forth.

“I mean, I could totally carry you,” Prompto jokes with a smirk, and Noctis scoffs and begins to walk away,

“Won’t be necessary.”  
Once he gets to the side with the pull up bars, however, he sits down against the wall and keeps himself to watching other students go first. It's interesting to watch the different dynamics of students going up to the bars, and Noctis makes observations as he gazes:  
The first being that, if two boys are in a pairing, they will automatically try and out-do each other with as many pull ups as possible, either for the sake of competitiveness, or to impress the girls, who stand around enjoying the show. The boys will push themselves until they literally drop to the floor in a dramatic display of loss, and then promptly tease each other over the numbers.  
If two girls are in a pairing, the opposite seems to take place, where the girls will either giggle profusely while trying to manage as many pull ups as they can, treating it like a joke, or they will resign themselves to feigning weakness so the boys try to help, or encourage them, almost like a weird passive aggressive flirting tactic.  
In the case of a partnership with both, the boy will cheer emphatically for his female partner, and vice versa, seeming to be the most mutually beneficial pairing in the case of the assigned physical work. The girl and the boy pairing either want to secretly, or openly, impress each other, or purely encourage each other for the sake of proving a point - being that team work makes the dream work and gender has nothing to do with it.

“You should go first, just get it over with.” Prompto says while extending his hand once again.

Noctis groans and uses it to help him stand up again, “Why, are you gonna spend all 16 minutes showing out?” He smiles, but it vaguely conceals envy.

“If that’s what you wanna see,” Prompto snickers, and forces Noctis over to the bars, where the Prince lazily shakes out his arms before jumping, and doing the first of several slow-burning pull ups. He gets to 15, and then hangs from the bar with his bored eyes glazing over. He could do more, but does he really want to?  
Prompto, noticing that there are bystanders watching, clears his throat and encourages the Prince, “That all you got money bags?” Noctis glares at him, and then does two more before Prompto is speaking again, “My grandma can do more than that - and she’s dead.”

“ _Oh alright, asshole._ ” Noctis barely contains his laughter and forces more pull ups, eventually getting to 35 before he drops to the ground. “That’s all you’re gettin, I’m done.” He walks over to the wall, and sits down once more.

“Aw, proud of you.” Prompto teases the Prince childishly, and then replaces Noctis on the bar, quickly getting into a groove and doing one pull up after the other with ease. He reaches 20, then 30, slows down towards 40, and finally when he reaches 50 pull ups, Prompto hangs from the bar and closes his eyes, trying to find the strength to do just one more.  
Noctis, noticing a lot of particularly interested eyes on the blonde, decides he wants to dish out the same medicine given to him minutes before.

“Hey Prom,” Noctis smirks, “Got a case of noodle arms there?”

Prompto gasps a laugh, shaking his head, “I’ve already done more than you,”

“And for what? Your dead gran? My _dog_ can do more than that, and I don’t even have one.” The Prince gets a good round of chuckles, but Prompto is resilient.

“Not gonna work,” 

“Fine, but Matias is right behind you. Wanna get shown up that fast? Not even gonna put up a fight?”

Prompto groans, from his forearms to his solar plexus, his body is burning and telling him to stop; but Noctis wants to be impressed, and he’s not just gonna let some jock come and do better that easily.  
“Gotcha.” Prompto grits his teeth and busts out 10 more pull ups exactly, then drops to the floor with a big gust of breath. “You’re such a dick,” He gasps while sitting down in a heap beside the Prince, allowing his arms to drop and lay sluggishly beside him.

“Ditto,” Noctis says proudly, and his eyes linger on the veiny, overworked callous hands resting beside his own. “Hey I have a question,” He says, absentmindedly gazing once again at the other’s arms.

“What would that be?” Prompto asks with a weak chuckle, his eyes closed and his head resting against the wall while he catches his breath.

“If it’s all cold and snowy in Niflheim, how’d you get so tan?”

Prompto rolls his head against the wall, turning and opening his eyes to stare at the Prince. “We still get Summer in Niflheim, it’s just not the same Summer as it is here. It’s actually _rain_ that we get a ton of during the season, but because it’s so cold, that rain always turns into snow near the ground. Anyways, the Sun still shines over there dude.” Prompto holds up his hands, trying to paint an invisible mural from his memory, “Niflheim isn’t like it’s own weird, alternate universe where it’s blizzarding all the time, contrary to what you guys must believe.”

Noctis shrugs, “We’re misinformed here, don’t mind the ignorance.”

Prompto chuckles and drops one of his hands on Noctis’ shoulder, “I’ll tell ya everything you wanna know. Later, though.” He nods and returns to cat napping against the wall.

Noctis looks down and fiddles with his fingers, “That’ll be useful.” He murmurs.

Once the clock on the wall chimes that their 16 minutes is up, the pair move to the next segment, but Noctis finds himself laying against the wall again, watching gleefully as Prompto is forced to continue exercising while he gets to finally sit back and do nothing, except judge the blonde using the scoring sheet on their clipboard. The brutal encouragement continues, “Come on, 60 squats is all you got? Professor X has more leg strength.”

“You are _so_ lucky right now,” Prompto grimaces a smile while continuing on the exercise despite his burning limbs. “I’d be sitting on your shoulders right now if it weren’t for your foot.”

“The last station is push ups, I can make the reverse a reality for you.” Noctis smirks widely, “I only weigh 140.”

Prompto laughs, “If you even _crawl_ towards me, I’ll take your other foot out too.”

“Doubtful, how are you gonna find the strength to take my foot out if you don’t have the strength to do more squats?”

The bickering continues into the next, and final exercise round, where Noctis casually drinks in the sight of Prompto sweating himself skinny doing pushups. “Only 40 more to go and you’ll beat the squat count.”

Prompto pushes himself up to a plank position and opens his mouth to respond, but can’t even bother to find the words. Instead he just shakes his head, allowing the Prince to win that match, as after 20 more push ups he collapses like a starfish to the floor.

“Hmm,” Noctis taps the eraser of the pencil against his lip, “So we tied for sit ups, then you beat me at the rope climb, _twice_ , and then I did better at double dutch, and after that, _I’m exempt._ ” Despite technically losing, Noctis grins at the turnout of the statistics. “All in all I’d say that was a pretty good period, yeah?”

“I’m totally gonna kick your ass dude,” Prompto mumbles with the side of his face pressed into the floor, “After I take a bear nap.”

“I’d hold off on that if I were you, we got 5 minutes left in class.”

Prompto lifts his head up from the ground, staring at Noctis desperately, “Drag me.”

“No way,”

“Come on, it’s the least you could do after sitting around all this time.” Prompto whines and extends his arm. After a cruel moment of consideration, Noctis then rolls his eyes and gets up,

“Fine, but only halfway.” He grabs Prompto’s arm and begins slowly hauling the blonde towards the entrance to the gymnasium, and about a quarter of the way there, the clock on the wall rings, along with the school bell. The gym teacher begins to yell something or other about good work, bad work, and what they’ll be doing the next day - but Noctis doesn’t hear a single word of it, and neither does Prompto, too busy focusing on dragging or being dragged.

At the halfway mark, he hauls Prompto onto his feet, and the two battered young men sluggishly make their way back to the locker rooms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy the story so far.  
> If you have anything you'd like to say to me about the story or you have any questions, please don't be afraid to comment and I'll try to respond to the best of my ability.
> 
> Also, I take CONSTRUCTIVE and INTELLECTUAL criticism. If you're not an asshole, I have no problems with advice or thoughts that are imperative to helping me write this story better; I value true and honest reviews, not pointless hate.
> 
> Thanks!  
> -Dominik.
> 
> (this same note will be at the end of every chapter, please don't mind the repetition <3)


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